Unknown Soldier
by Burakku's Shadow
Summary: OneShot Songfic. Day in and day out, Odd has to live with the consequences of becoming XANA’s slave. Without a doubt, Nightmares Come to Life part three.


Title: Unknown Soldier

**Title****:** Unknown Soldier

**Media****:** Code Lyoko

**Genre****:** General/Angst

**Disclaimer****: **_Code Lyoko_ belongs to _MoonScoop_ and _AnteFilms_; _Unknown Soldier_ belongs to Breaking Benjamin.

**Summary****:** Day in and day out, Odd has to live with the consequences of becoming XANA's slave. Without a doubt, Nightmares Come to Life part three.

**A/N****:** Gosh, I am _sooooooo_ sorry this is so frickin' late! DX I just had such a hard time picking out the right song for the finale, and now I have it! (at least…I'm pretty sure this is just right)

So, without further ado, here's the last story in my _Nightmares Come to Life_ mini-series!!

Unknown Soldier

In a cold cell lay a figure with purple, cat-like ears, a cat-like tail that was also purple but with blue-violet stripes, and paw-like hands that were splattered with dry blood. He was on his side facing the wall, just under the only window in the whole prison cell. He was clearly in bad physical condition, his white uniform caked with blood on the chest area and his breaths quick and shallow.

Slowly, faded blue eyes closed as his mind wandered off to a more distant time.

_Border line_

_Dead inside_

_I don't mind_

_Falling to pieces_

_Count me in, violent_

_Let's begin, feeding the sickness_

_How do I simplify_

_Dislocate –the enemy's on the way_

There was a large spans of woodland, the trees bearing bright green leaves in welcome of the late spring. There were also birds and squirrels sitting on the branches, singing or chattering at each other. Occasionally, deer would come by under the boughs, nibbling on some berries off nearby bushes.

Sitting on one of the branches was a young boy, probably about the age of eight or so, who had pinkish-purple cat-like ears, a cat-like tail that trailed over the branch and swung lazily, and paw-like hands, which he had laced behind his head. Azure eyes stared up at the sky through the leaves, calm and thoughtful.

One of his ears twitched suddenly and he looked down, eyes wary.

Slinking out of some bushes was a dark-clad Japanese girl, fans in her hands and onyx eyes shifty. She kept her body low to the ground, body ready to spring at the slightest unusual noise. Looking off in a certain direction, she swiftly dashed toward a nearby tree and firmly pressed herself against it as if there was some unseen enemy on the other side of the tree.

The cat-like boy was so focused on her he failed to notice another boy above him watching. Just before he could attack, however, one of his ears swiveled back and he leapt out of the way just as two katanas slashed downward. Azure eyes narrowing, he leapt a few branches upward and flicked his wrists, which caused lasers to shoot out of yellow arrows tattooed onto his wrists. This attack was ineffective, however, because the other boy deflected the lasers with his sword.

The girl looked up into the trees and also engaged in the fight, joining the brunet in attacking the blonde by throwing her fans at him (which sliced the branches he was on only seconds ago).

Twirling artistically in the air before landing on the ground, the feline boy turned tail and ran, luring the other two. Making sure they were still following him, he made a sharp turn and dove into a lake, swimming into a narrow tunnel and surfacing in an air-bubble.

The other two stopped dead at the water's edge, giving the murky liquid suspicious looks. They looked at each other after a few minutes, seemingly confused by their "prey's" sudden disappearance.

The brunet pulled some sort of communicator out of the pocket of his brown-and-yellow vest-like top and clicked a button. "Hey, Jim? We lost him."

There was laughter on the other end, which made the brunet frown. "That's Odysseus, alright," replied a man's chuckling voice as the two young teens looked at each other again. "He's a clever one. Let me take care of this." When static came on, the boy clicked a different button and placed the communicator back into his pocket.

"What do you think we should do?"

The girl shrugged. "Wait, I suppose."

Their decision made, they both sat cross-legged on the grass and waited, watching the water the entire time.

After a few more minutes, bubbles appeared and following the bubbly show emerged a head.

"Okay," the brunet said in a somewhat annoyed voice as he observed the broad grin on the blonde's face. "You win this round. Don't think you'll be able to pull a trick like that on XANA's troops."

"Aw," Odysseus whined, climbing out of the water and shaking the water off himself like an animal. "You talk just like Jim, it's so un-cool."

"As un-cool as it sounds," the girl started, standing up, "He has a point: XANA's troops won't fall for a trick like that."

"How do you know?"

"How do you know they will?"

"You guys did," he replied, smirking. He giggled girlishly at their exasperated expressions, following at a safe distance when they started walking off. "So…what's the next test?"

The two young teens looked at each other, smirking devilishly.

"Oh, you'll see," the brunet answered, placing his hands behind his back just under his sword sheaths. "Don't worry about it."

_Show me what it's like_

_To dream in black and white_

_So I can leave this world tonight_

A man in a military uniform raised Odysseus's arms so the seamstress could take measurements, stepping back as she set to work with her ruling instruments.

"Why are we doing this again, Jim?" the younger asked, giving the frizzy-haired woman an uncomfortable look.

"To make sure your uniform fits you properly," Jim answered simply, watching as if nothing unusual was going on. "If it's too tight, it'll restrict movement and you won't be able to fight. If it's too loose, you'll likely get tied up in your own clothing and you'll be an easy target. Ah…you get where I'm getting at, right?"

"Yeah," he answered quickly, turning red when she accidentally touched his rear. "Can we speed this up, though? It's _very_ uncomfortable…"

"If we rush through this, then the measurements won't be correct. Besides, she knows what she's doing. Right, Susanne?"

The seamstress paused in her work, giving Jim an odd look. "Of course I know what I'm doing," she answered in a restrained tone, jotting down some notes and putting away her instruments. "And we're done. You can run along now, Otto."

Happy to not have to stay still anymore, the cat-like boy leapt off the stool he was standing on and quickly strode out of the room with his tail held high.

"Cocky little kid, isn't he?" Susanne mumbled, picking up her kit and preparing to leave.

The man turned from the door to the seamstress, a strange sort of smile on his face. "But he's a clever kid, too. Not many kids are like him, nowadays."

"You mean like Stern and Ishiyama?"

"If you take account how many kids there are in the city, finding a good group ready for training and such isn't easy. Most of them would much rather stay home and play on their computers all day like Jeremie."

"Belpois is also clever…just not very useful on the battlefield."

He sighed. "Yeah, true…just wish there were more people who are handy with their bodies."

"Have you interviewed Hopper yet?"

"Ah, not yet. I'll get to that in about an hour, though."

She nodded, walking toward the door and placing her hand on the knob. "She's good with technology and her body. I think you'll like her."

He gave her a thoughtful look as he watched her walk out the door. "…I'll keep that in mind, Mrs. Hertz."

_Full of fear_

_Ever clear_

_I'll be here_

_Fighting forever_

_Curious_

_Venomous_

_You'll find me_

_Climbing to heaven_

_Never mind_

_Turn back time_

_You'll be fine –I will get left behind_

Odysseus sat there on the ledge, swinging his legs absentmindedly as azure eyes looked down to the valley below. He wore a purple uniform with a sort of seal on the chest, shoulder and knee pads and a gold belt.

He was older now, probably around twelve or so, and also much more serious. Blonde hair now touched his shoulders, and his cat-like ears had lost their kitten-like appeal. Same for his tail, which was less fluffy. His fingers also looked more designed, developed.

A sigh escaped his lungs as he slumped over, lazily scanning the valley. "So…my dream's finally come true. I'm a Lyoko Warrior…shouldn't I be happy?" He pulled his legs back and got onto his stomach, poised to start running down the deep slope on all fours. "To think I'd kill to get this position four years ago…"

A cat-like ear twitched as they picked up a strange noise and he straightened his back, leaning forward and scanning the valley with a serious look. "What the hell…?"

Marching out across the clearing far below were black-clad soldiers, all of them bearing a red eye-like symbol on their helmets and chests. They all had bright-red eyes, as well, and they seemed to be made of fog.

Azure eyes widened in alarm. "XANA…!"

He leapt back off the edge of the ledge, turned on his heals and ran as fast as he could through the woods. _I gotta warn the others!_

After a while, he finally made it to the nearest base and stumbled in, struggling to catch his breath.

Jim hurried over, a look of concern on his features. "What is it, Odd?"

Sucking in air, Odd looked up and answered exhaustedly, "XANA…he's coming…!"

The man in the Lieutenant's uniform straightened in alarm, green-brown eyes wide. "Everyone, battle stations! This is not a drill! I repeat: this is _not_ a drill! XANA's forces are moving in!" He turned down to the boy who was still on the floor, kneeling down. "Now, don't be scared, Odysseus. It'll be alright, just stick with your group. Alright?" The younger nodded with uncertainty and the Lieutenant returned to his own "battle station".

Shakily getting back to his feet, Odd looked around himself breathlessly. Noticing the brunet and the Japanese girl, he hurried over to them. "Which position do we have?"

"The front –" The brunet paused when he got a good look at the younger boy, almost instantly looking concerned. "Hey, you okay Odd?"

"Yeah," the blonde answered weakly, looking toward the door of which he had entered a few seconds ago. "Just a little scared."

"Don't worry," the teenage girl said, placing a hand on the cat-like boy's shoulder. "We've got your back."

He nodded at her, turning to the older male. "We got the front line?" A cold shiver ran laps up and down his spine when the other nodded. "Great…front row to a great show, huh, Ulrich?"

"You know," Ulrich said, giving Odd an odd look. "I don't think I've ever been so glad to hear one of your stupid jokes."

"Aelita's here," the Japanese girl stated as a winged elf clad in a pink uniform hurried over.

"Let's get going. If you straggle behind, you'll get left behind." The oldest male in the group turned and started running. "Let's go!"

_Show me what it's like_

_To dream in black and white_

_So I can leave this world tonight_

Blood stained the grass, which now gleamed a crimson-silver in the moonlight. Dead corpses were scattered everywhere, and here and there were badly injured Warriors. Among those injured was Odd.

He had somehow managed to drag himself into a ditch and out of gunfire, ears flat against blonde hair that was now dirty from the war. Breaths coming in ragged, he pushed himself up against a muddy wall and pulled his legs out of a sinkhole.

"Dammit…I can't feel them!" he growled, digging his claws into his own legs. _My first-ever war against XANA and already I'm in a bad position…_

Azure eyes turned upward as cat-like ears caught sound of footsteps rushing toward his hiding place. He narrowly dodged a teenage-sized body leaping into the ditch, claws out and ready to slice flesh. Hesitation, then azure eyes widened in surprise. "Ulrich?"

Ulrich turned to him, also looking surprised. "Odd? How're you doing?"

"Not good," the younger male replied, looking down at where his legs were. "Ulrich, I…I can't feel them."

The brunet frowned, crawling toward his wounded comrade. "Were you hit on your back?" He sighed when the blonde nodded. "Great, you're paralyzed. I would almost try cutting off your legs, except we don't have any way to stop the bleeding if we do that." A shrill whistling sounded off and chocolate-brown eyes widened in alarm. "Odd, get down!" he ordered, shoving the cat-like boy back.

A bombshell landed at the opening of the ditch and dust, gunpowder and fire flew into the air in all directions. Ulrich was still on top of the younger boy when the debris cleared up enough for the two to see their surroundings again.

"Other than your legs, are you alright?"

"Scared, but fine…I think."

"You think?" The brunet gave the blonde a strange look, not completely understanding what his comrade was trying to tell him.

Odd shook his head, blinking a few times. "Ulrich…when did things turn black and white?" He looked slightly confused when the person he directed the question to gave him a somewhat horrified look. "What? I'm serious!"

"So is this," Ulrich said as he gently brushed his fingers against Odd's head, revealing blood. "You got hit in the head pretty bad…"

The cat-like boy looked alarmed. "What about you?"

"Just singed, nothing terrible."

"Ulrich, is that you?"

Both boys looked up toward the sound of the voice. "Aelita?"

Sure enough, standing at the top of the ditch was the pink-clad winged elf (although the pink was unrecognized as pink and looked a little more like a reddish-brown color), kneeling down low enough to avoid gunshot. "Odd? Are you both okay?"

"Yeah," Odd answered shakily, pulling himself into a sitting position (with some help from Ulrich).

"Odd's in bad shape. Think you can get him to some sort of infirmary?"

She nodded, landing in the ditch closest to Odd. "Get on my back," she ordered, spreading her wings in a way that would allow a passenger to climb aboard. After she made sure he was secure, she took off into the smoke-filled sky and headed back toward base.

_Holding on too tight_

_Breathe the breath of life_

_So I can leave this world behind_

"Hold still, Della Robbia!"

Odd cringed horribly, clenching his teeth in a vain attempt to keep from screaming. His eyes were closed tightly and cat-like ears flat against his head, although his tail was still limp from his paralysis.

Jim, who had broken a leg in the fight that was still waging outside the tent, applied a damp cloth to the boy's forehead. "Yolande, how much longer? I don't think this kid can take much more."

Yolande, the blonde-haired nurse, paused in her surgery for a brief instant, giving the lieutenant a quick glance. "I'm almost done," she answered quickly, dapping a bloody cloth against an open area in Odd's abdomen. "Just need to stitch him up."

"Poor kid," muttered a man missing a right leg in the far corner. "How old is he, twelve?"

"Yeah," Jim answered, looking away from the pained child and toward the man. "Hans, you remember Jeremie? He's a bright kid. So's this one, but is more handy with his body. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be alive now."

Hans nodded, blue-green eyes landing on the cat-like boy on the operating table. "I don't doubt that at all. Cats are usually very nimble and light on their feet. Very quick reflexes, too."

Yolande resumed her work, sewing up Odd's mid-section back together. "It'll take a few months, maybe even a few years, but he should be able to walk again." After she was finished, she covered the area with a gauze bandage and went to treat the next Warrior.

"J-Jim," the younger boy gasped, breathing still ragged with pain.

The lieutenant dampened the cloth some more before putting it back on the boy's forehead. "Hush now. It's over."

"But…the others…"

"They're fine. Trust me, I trained them to be the best fighters in our army. They're all fine."

Slowly, exhaustion put the injured boy to sleep and he settled into a restless dream.

_It only hurts just once_

_They're only broken bones_

_Hide the hate inside_

_Oh…_

"Agh!"

Ulrich threw himself against a tree, barely missing being blown apart by another grenade. The Japanese girl was next to him, breathing heavily.

"We can't take much more of this…"

"Yes we can, Yumi," Ulrich stated, giving her a stern look. "We just need to figure out how to outsmart them."

Almost at that moment, one of the phantom soldiers walked by, three grenades floating above one of it's raised hands. Blood-red eyes searched its surroundings, looking for a target. It didn't have much time to reach, however, as two katanas fell down on it and forced it to dissipate.

"Well hey, you're younger than me, so you have better flexibility than I do."

"And you're a girl, so you really shouldn't be complaining." He looked up to see Aelita flying toward them. "How's Odd?"

"Not good," she answered, landing quickly near the tree Yumi was still leaning against. "He was in surgery when I left him. I don't know if he'll be able to walk again or not."

Ulrich and Yumi looked at each other with worried expressions, though their moment was short-lived as another grenade exploded nearby.

"God! When will they lighten up on those damn explosives!?" the only male within the group growled, glowering in the direction of the explosion.

"When XANA's sure he has us all destroyed," Aelita answered gravely, emerald eyes heavy with dread.

"Well," the brunet started as he crossed his katanas and looking toward the next set of spectral soldiers like a cross-bow. "He's gonna hafta demolish the whole forest to achieve that, now won't he?" With that, and a shrill squeal of metal grinding against metal, he sprinted toward the enemy, chocolate eyes blazing.

_Forever leave this world behind_

Azure eyes slowly opened to a white room, looking around dizzily.

There were rows of beds, most of them holding injured Warriors. Nurses were coming in and out of two separate sets of doors, one of which headed toward one bed in particular.

"So how are we feeling, Odd?" Yolande asked gently, smiling as she checked the board on the foot of the bed.

Odd, who still looked a bit dizzy, sat up and rubbed his head tenderly. "Dizzy…where are the others?"

"Waiting outside. After you take your medication, would you like to see them?" After receiving a nod from her patient, the blonde doctor nodded and waved for a nurse to come over.

The cat-like blonde took his medicine without complaint and laid back down, azure drifting upward toward the air duct that happened to be above his bed. _Hmm…I wonder how bad I've been to be put under something like that._

Coming in through the doors came Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita and a blue-clad blonde wearing glasses. The girls seemed to have suffered nothing more severe than burns and scrapes, the brunet had one arm in a sling and had a slight limp, and the last was unharmed completely. Odd smiled when he noticed them coming over.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey."

Aelita stepped right next to him, gently placing a hand just over his stomach. "How're you feeling?"

"Tired and sore, but beyond that…" He shrugged, giving a small smirk. "At least I'm alive, right?"

"Have you gone through any physical therapy yet?" It was the blue-clad boy that had spoken this time.

"Naw, not yet. But I'm sure that's coming up," he added with another shrug, ignoring the pain in his abdomen for the sake of his friends. "How've you guys been doing?"

"We're fine," Ulrich stated with a small grin, waving his undamaged hand almost playfully. "Just some burns and scrapes, nothing we can't handle."

"Except Jeremie," Yumi added, giving the glasses-wearing blonde a semi-playful look.

"I was working on the electronic equipment," Jeremie stated in his defense, pushing his glasses further up the ridge of his nose. "You know, the weapon-manufacturing machines? The stuff that makes sure that you guys don't die on the battlefield?"

"We know, Einstein," the cat-like boy chuckled, trying to keep a fight from starting. "And we're all grateful for your work. Right, guys?" He grinned at his other friends, raising an eyebrow in another playful gesture.

"Of course," the pink-haired elf supported, giving the Einstein of the group a large smile. He smiled back.

The Japanese girl looked carefully at Odd's face, trying to figure something out. "Odd…is there something wrong?"

The boy she addressed gave her a surprised look. "What gives you that idea?"

"The look in your eyes. What's wrong?"

When he didn't answer right away, the others turned to him also. They all seemed concerned, which made the injured surgery-patient feel guilty.

He sighed, looking away for an instant. "It's just a question, really…"

"Well, then ask," Ulrich prompted.

"Umm…do, do you guys think I did good enough?"

They all looked a little surprised, Ulrich and Yumi looking at each other and Aelita and Jeremie doing the same with each other.

Aelita turned back to him. "What do you mean?"

"On the battlefield…did I do good enough?" he asked again more quietly, looking at himself (more noticeably where he had his first surgery) and azure eyes forlorn.

"Odd," the Japanese girl started, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "You did fine. I mean, you're the youngest one of us so far, it's amazing you didn't die out there."

"I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you became one of our strongest in the future," the brunet added, placing his hand on his him and straightening his back in a mock attempt to look heroic.

Both girls nodded along with Jeremie.

Odd looked at each of them, smiling gratefully and tears threatening to form in his eyes. "Thanks, guys…and because you didn't leave me behind, I promise never to leave you guys behind." He held out his hand palm-down, and soon everyone had their hand on his.

_Show me what it's like_

_To dream in black and white_

_So I can leave this world tonight_

Faded blue eyes opened once again the gray-bricked prison cell, sadness faintly visible in those glassy orbs. "You were right, Ulrich," he whispered between weak gasps, curling a little. "I'm the…only one left…"

After a few moments, his breathing slowed and his already-limp body seemed to be dead. Their was hardly any signs of life, the only exception being his hectic breathing.

Suddenly, out of the air-vent in the ceiling wafted a fog-like substance that fell noiselessly to the floor not far from the cat-like being. Collecting itself and compacting itself, it formed into a duplicate of the poor creature still on the floor, only it's hair was blood-red, the uniform was midnight-black, and there was a glowing, blood-red symbol on the chest.

Crimson eyes landed pitilessly on their prey, a sigh sounding off the walls. "You're almost through, aren't you?"

Cat-like ears flattened for a few seconds, but quickly went limp as strength vanished. "What do…you want…XANA…?"

"Sensitive, aren't we?" XANA scoffed, folding his arms and slowly swinging red-striped tail in contemplation. "Well…since you're no longer of any real use to me," he thought out loud, lowering his eyelids and black cat-like ears turning backward. "And you've served me so faithfully…"

The gray temporarily lifted from azure eyes as Odd realized what his captor meant. Weakly lifting and turning his head, he locked eyes with his enemy.

A smirk graced the villain's lips as he eagerly engaged in the contact. "Ah, I see you're interested." Crimson eyes widened in delight as the symbol's pulsation rate increased like a person's heart after a good run. "You know…this is the first time in almost two months that I've seen this much enthusiasm in you. It almost brings back memories, doesn't it?" He sighed, closing his eyes and shrugging faintly. "Ah well…"

"Please…"

Crimson eyes opened and were immediately on the injured teen's face, a certain openness to them. It was obvious that this was the first time in a while that he had spoken in this manner, and it made this predator curious.

"XANA…please…"

A clawed hand flexed and a fog-like substance spewed out of the palm, compacting into a broad duel sword with the eye-like symbol encrusted on the hilt and one side of the blade.

Blood-red eyes stayed focused on their prey, contemplative. "You know…it's because you served me so faithfully that I'm granting you this wish." He raised the weapon, slowly and making sure the moonlight filtering in through the window reflected off the metal blade. Then, swiftly, he plunged his weapon downward slicing through flesh and bone, blood splattering on his hands and the front of his body.

_Holding on too tight_

_Breathe the breath of life_

_So I can leave this world behind_

Sparkling azure eyes looked around at the whiteness, squinting in the brightness of this space. After a few minutes, he could see the outlines of four, possibly more personages up ahead.

Odd blinked several times and shook his head, trying to see more clearly. At last, it seemed he could see where he was.

It was something like a meadow of silvery grass and no trees, bright-red flowers blooming in the fields. And standing on a pure-white stone were…

"Aelita?" the cat-like boy asked in disbelief, slowly walking forward. "Ulrich? Yumi? Jeremie…?"

Aelita smiled fondly, flying off the rock and landing beside her friend. "Yeah, we're really here." She gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders as if to prove her existence.

He still looked very much surprised despite the others doing something similar, cat-like ears swiveling around and tail twitching.

Yumi laughed. "Okay, Twitchy-Tail, pause for a moment and try to think of the last thing you remember before coming here."

The cat-like boy gave her an odd look, but followed her instructions nonetheless. He shuddered when he remembered the sword and the gray-bricked surroundings, and azure eyes widened in shock when he realized the blood on his enemy's hands were his.

"I'm…dead?"

"Yes and no," Jeremie answered, putting on a more thoughtful look. "You're dead in mortality, but your spirit's far from dead."

Odd looked at his blonde friend more carefully and realized that he wasn't wearing glasses anymore. Then he also noticed that they weren't exactly wearing their usual colors…well, they were, but they were faded, almost like their clothes were bleached. He looked down at himself and didn't see that much of a fad in his clothes. But he quickly realized that he was no longer wearing his white "slave" uniform, but his usual casual clothes –his purple hoodie, the pinkish-purple shirt underneath, and blue-violet jeans. His hands also had no traces of blood.

"I see you're catching on," Ulrich stated, smirking playfully when his feline friend gave him a bewildered look.

"So, you mean…we're all free?" They all nodded, and he just felt…well, overjoyed. Happy that he was no longer in pain and ecstatic that he was among friends once again. Laughing, he hugged each one of them.

Azure eyes turned upward, energy reflecting off of them. _Freedom…so this must be heaven._

**A/N 2****:** I know, sappy ending…but I couldn't come up with anything better. And I faintly recall someone asking for Odd to meet with his friends in heaven…


End file.
